Heavy rain hits Clovis

May 11, 2004

By Darrell Todd Maurina: CNJ staff writer

Heavy rainfall hit the area Monday evening, dumping as much as 1.5 inches of rain in areas in Clovis, according to unofficial reports.
Muleshoe also received a good dousing of rain, but most surrounding communities received little if any precipitation.
“It’s coming down in sheets and sheets,” said John Stevens of Muleshoe about 8 p.m. An hour later the rain had stopped in Muleshoe and he recorded a half inch in his rain gauge.
David Gardner of Clovis said his area got about the same rainfall total — 0.6 of an inch — and the rain made driving difficult.
“It filled the street; it came by pretty quick and the street was up to the curb,” Gardner said. “We also had a little bit of hail, not much. We had about 1/4 diameter hail for a few seconds.”
Some reporting stations in Clovis recorded up to 1.5 inches, and others had totals ranging from 0.8 inches to 0.5 inches.
“I was just out; Prince Street from 21st to the mall was just covered with water abut 7:20 p.m.,” said Clovis resident Janis Davis.
Wilma Fulgham of Clovis said she was out about the same time.
“It was raining heavy, almost up to the bottom of the car at the intersection of Hull and Grant streets,” Fulgham said. “Grand and Mitchell were really pouring in the drain pretty heavy. The street was almost covered halfway; it was doing all it could to run toward the drain.”
However, most outlying areas reported little or no precipitation.
Observers in McAlister, House and Texico said they saw only a trace of rain. Friona observers recorded no rain. While the National Weather Service issued a small stream flood advisory for the northeast part of Curry County including Grady, Bellview and northward, meteorologist Annette Mokry of the Amarillo National Weather Service office said her office hadn’t received any reports of actual flood damage. Sheriff Roger Hatcher also said he’s received no reports of flooded roads.
“That warning was prompted by Doppler radar rainfall amounts,” Mokry said.
Officials with the Lubbock office of the National Weather Service said their automated reporting stations showed about a third of an inch throughout Parmer and Bailey counties, with scattered hail up to quarter and penny size in locations farther south.